A Friendly Fight to the Death
by RurouniGochan
Summary: Vegeta had always promised he'd exact his revenge on Kakarotto. ...No time like the present. Just a short little fic.


Disclaimer: Dragonball/Z/GT are not mine but are creations of Akira Toriyama. And once again, I am not rich because that is not my name.

  


**A Friendly Fight to the Death**

Goku sat on the roof of his house, leaning back on his palms and enjoying the breeze that ran through his hair. Breathing it in deep, he could smell Chichi cooking lunch below in the kitchen and he could hear both of his sons finishing up their daily chores. Goku remembered that he still needed to get another tree for tonight and next week's firewood but decided a few more moments up on the rooftop couldn't hurt. He still wanted to bask in the Earth's sun and just indulge in the wonderful feeling of being alive again.

It had been only a week since their scrape with the Evil Buu that almost destroyed everything he loved. Well, actually, Buu _did_ destroy everything he loved; he had just been lucky enough to have the means to revive it. But now, for the first time in seven long years, he'd experienced a week of being alive and back on earth without worrying about Baba coming to remind him of any time limit. Sure he had still had his body up there in heaven -- but heaven's breezes didn't ever carry the smells of Chichi's culinary masterpieces, or the sounds of Gohan's laughter. And now that he had a second son, the treasures to find here on this planet were at least tripled.

Lifting his hands behind his head and leaning back to rest on the shingles of his home, Goku soaked up rays and the heat that emanated from the sun-kissed roof. Letting out a large sigh, he had to admit he was mostly content. 

Mostly.

He knew that Buu would be reborn as a good person, but it'd be a long wait until he'd fight that guy, whoever he'd become. That was one of the only things that was keeping Son Goku anxious; but there was something else. He wasn't sure what, but Goku felt as though he were forgetting something important -- something vital. And whatever it was, it was also keeping him from feeling fully satisfied.

Shrugging it off like all other matters he couldn't solve right away, Goku exhaled in carefree luxury and enjoyed the afternoon sun for just a bit longer. When he had had his fill, he got up, dusted himself off, and prepared to go fetch the firewood that would come in handy for making tonight's supper.

Goku hardly made it off the roof of his home before he felt it. A certain trace of chi that blinked into his senses and made him pause. Just feeling it out for a moment or two, the corners of Goku's mouth suddenly turned up into a grin. Not his usual happy-go-lucky type of smile, but rather the kind of smirk he wore when about to go into a violent confrontation. He may have been dense and too trusting for his own good, but his Saiya-jin blood pulsed in him and craved the occasional ferocious combat.

Lifting two fingers up to his forehead - firewood forgotten - Goku blurred out of existence as he went to meet his challenger.

****

Vengeance.

It was a miraculous word that filled you with passion and purpose; it became a hunger. And it was a hunger that had been consuming him for years. He'd trained, fought, slaved and tasted his own blood and sweat all for this very moment. The hour was nigh; the time was now.

The final battle.

Goku materialized in the air space before him, dressed in his usual orange and blue. The Son patriarch looked slightly caught off-guard when looking him over. He must not have expected him to wear his old armor again. He really didn't need it anymore, but it seemed to help him focus for the approaching duel. It served as a link to his reason and past. It was a reminder.

Sensing the seriousness of this, the usually carefree warrior placed a mask of fearless determination and confidence on his face. He knew what this was too. Good.

"Kakarotto," the challenger growled, spitting out the name like a bad taste.

"…Vegeta."

The air became thick and heavy as their chi slowly built and gathered. The wind itself seemed to slow, trying to push its way through the syrup of raw energy. Glaring one another down, they let the tension rise. Goku suddenly grinned again, savagely but honorable.

"So you still can't let this go, nee."

"Don't make light of this, Kakarotto!" the royalty snapped. "This is the purpose for which I was born! This is the reason I've tolerated this puny planet! _I_ am the one destined for this greatness! I shall only be surpassed by _death!_" The space around him suddenly became alive with electricity as he let his aura crack as gold as his hair. "My job in life is to overcome superior powers and make them my own! Today you DIE, Kakarotto!!"

Son Goku watched him calmly for a moment, then let his own chi release into the air without any perambulating war cries. "I won't hold back, Vegeta," he simply said, his previous smirk and all traces of it gone. 

"Don't you dare even think about it," the prince replied darkly, crouching into a readied stance. "You know the rules, don't you?"

Preparing a form of his own, Goku answered:

"To the death."

**** 

The storm foamed and raged for hours on end. Unsparing winds carrying curses and animal shouts of brutality raced across lands. Tremors and aftershocks of the inhumanity rocked the very globe itself. The earth trembled and the atmosphere erupted with raw and unconfined power. The hurricane had been unleashed, and would not be pacified.

Some of the others sensed the frothing bedlam and worried that their peace would be so short-lived. Kami received a lot of prayers that afternoon, and he did his best to assure them. He seemed to have a fairly decent idea of what was going on and told the others to leave this cataclysm be. Were it not for Piccilo's confirmation to Dende's claim, there surely would have been an attempted interception. However, with Gohan convinced, the others soon relented as well, not wanting to disagree with the two other great powers.

Chichi was a wreck, wondering if her husband was so eager to be killed again. Bulma questioned the sanity of her spouse while the women's two young boys kicked at the ground, disappointed to not be allowed to watch such an awesome battle (later it was discovered they'd had a bet going on whose father would come out triumphant). Other scattered concerns went throughout the group, who were all completely helpless to do anything.

They weren't sure whether to sigh in relief or tense in uncertainty when the energy of the two angels of destruction finally began to diminish. They merely followed the council of their planet guardian with doubt.

"Wait," Dende told them. "It'll be over very soon."

****

Vegeta sucked up the blood in his mouth and spat it onto the ground with contempt, not liking the bitter and metallic flavor of defeat. Kakarotto stood over him, wounded, injured and bleeding profusely -- but still standing. A guttural sound of pain escaped Vegeta's lips as he flipped himself over so he lie on his back, facing his executioner. He could tell nearly all of the bones in his body were broken, but that was not going to keep him from accepting his fate straight forward. He'd always preferred looking Death in the face.

"Finish it," he commanded in a cough of organic fluid.

Goku regarded him emotionlessly for a moment before nodding, and extending a hand towards Vegeta's face. The prince supposed this would mean he wouldn't be having an open-casket funeral. 

His fingers wrapping around the sides of the prince's skull, Goku's chi began to heat. Closing his eyes, Vegeta awaited his end, satisfied that he'd fulfilled his oath -- except that in his vows he'd sworn to kill Kakarotto; but to die trying was acceptable. 

The heat continued to build up to the point where it nearly branded his temples with his fingerprints. Finally, Son Goku brought it to an end.

"Bang," he whispered, and suddenly the chi was gone. Vegeta opened his eyes to look up at his oppressor. Goku smirked, "You're dead, Vegeta."

"What?"

Son's hand of death suddenly changed character as it offered to help pull him to his feet. "I said you're dead," Goku repeated in much more casual tones. "Now come on, you're making me late for my dinner."

"Kakarotto, what the--"

"Oh, that's right!" Digging into his large belt (that somehow remained in good condition) he pulled out two objects about the size of his thumbnail. "Here, eat one," he said, flipping a bean with perfect aim to Vegeta's mouth. The prince snatched the senzu with his tongue but hesitated to swallow it whereas Goku quickly downed his own.

"What is this?" he grunted, still grimacing against the pain.

"Come on, Vegeta, you know what those are. They're senzu beans!"

Scowling, he replied, "No! I mean what are you doing? This is supposed to be to the death, Kakarotto! You said you understood that!"

"Hai, I do. And you're dead, Vegeta. Don't you get it?"

"Enlighten me," the fallen warrior said darkly, toying with the bean on his tongue and debating on whether to take advantage of it or not.

"Ja, I figure that the Prince Vegeta who swore to kill me was the one that didn't have much to live for on this planet."

"So?"

"So… You've changed, Vegeta. You're different now. You have something to live and fight for and that's your family. You're not the same person you were before; you're no longer a bad or evil spirit. Today you faced me as him, but I just defeated and killed him, so now only you're left. You get it, Vegeta? The wicked prince is dead, the one who vowed my death. Now you can forget about him and start living how you were meant to. In peace, and with us." 

The unnatural insight coming from Goku was throwing the Saiya-jin prince off guard. Kakarotto actually making sense? Maybe he had hit his head to hard during the battle…

"Oi, Vegeta," Goku said, still holding out his hand. "You gonna make me wait here all day for you? I won't like it if you make me miss dinner."

Vegeta looked up at him for a moment, paused, then bit down on the healing herb in his mouth. Relief flooded through him as his strength returned. Hesitantly, he reached up a palm towards Goku's extended arm.

"Don't baby me, Kakarotto!" he snapped, slapping the helping limb aside. "I'm still the Prince of Saiya-jins and I can stand on my own perfectly well."

Chuckling, Goku levitated into the air and waved. "I hope to fight you to the death again soon, Vegeta! It was fun, we should do it more often! Bai bai!" Lifting two fingers up to his forehead, he was gone a moment later.

"Humph," Vegeta scoffed. "Who ever heard of a friendly fight to the death?"

  


THE END

  
  


AUTHORESS'S NOTES

This is actually an old fanfic of mine, but I decided to post it because of all the DBZ fics I've written, this was a favorite. I revised it a little, but actually not much at all. I hope that means it's good. Maybe I'll post more in time.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this short little thing. Reviews are welcomed!


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